Brave Scots can mark a defeat with honour

Once both coaches had finished exchanging accusations of cheating, Scotland's Matt Williams and Eddie Jones of Australia were able to draw considerable satisfaction from a useful workout at Murrayfield.

Once both coaches had finished exchanging accusations of cheating, Scotland's Matt Williams and Eddie Jones of Australia were able to draw considerable satisfaction from a useful workout at Murrayfield.

Williams, who finally seems to be making some progress despite a record which now stands at just one victory from nine Test matches, will take heart from a gritty second-half performance. He has plenty of reason to cheer after the RBS 6 Nations wooden spoonists outscored their opponents 14-3 in the second half, but so too Jones, who will take considerable solace from the bruising nature of the contest.

Everything was running according to the script at half-time, as Australia carved their opponents open with ease, scoring four tries through Stirling Mortlock, Lote Tuqiri and a brace from Clyde Rathbone.

And with centre Matt Giteau booting all the conversions, Scotland - missing a clutch of their big names such as Scott Murray, Tom Smith and Simon Taylor - were facing another morale-sapping defeat.

But Williams, who had been forced to select only from the three Scottish provinces for the match following the refusal of England's clubs to release any of their players, sent out a different side for the second half.

They tore into the Wallabies, crossing through Sean Lamont and substitute Hugo Southwell shortly after the interval, and could have added further tries had they shown more nous in turning possession into points.

Although a third successive loss to the World Cup runners-up may hardly strike many as progress, Williams took plenty of encouragement.

Jones said after the match that an international pitch had to be 70m wide - Murrayfield's was allegedly 65 - but a Scottish Rugby Union spokesman said there had been no dirty tricks.

Jones complained to the International Rugby Board - and Williams demanded an IRB probe into "repeated obstruction in Australia's back moves".